MUMBAI: Netflix today announced the release date of DOTA: Dragon’s Blood, an all-new anime series based on the popular DOTA 2 video-game franchise by Valve. The eight-episode anime series is set to launch globally on March 25.

The upcoming fantasy series tells the story of Davion, a renowned Dragon Knight devoted to wiping the scourge from the face of the world. Following encounters with a powerful, ancient eldwurm as well as the noble Princess Mirana on a secret mission of her own, Davion becomes embroiled in events much larger than he could have ever imagined.

“Fans will love how we’ve imagined the DOTA 2 universe and woven together an epic, emotional, and adult-oriented story about some of their favourite characters,” said showrunner and executive producer Ashley Edward Miller. “The cinematic animation, acting and music are simply next level and I’m grateful to Valve for supporting our creative ambitions.”

The series is based on the hugely successful global video-game franchise DOTA 2 by Valve. Ashley Edward Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor and Black Sails) serves as series showrunner and executive producer. Renowned Studio MIR (The Legend of Korra and Netflix's Voltron: Legendary Defender) is responsible for animation, with Ryu Ki Hyun serving as co-executive producer.

DOTA 2, which Valve released in 2013, is a sequel to the developer’s original Defense of the Ancients (DOTA). The multiplayer online battle arena title is of the world’s leading online games, hosting millions of players daily and also holds multiple records for top e-sports tournament prize earnings. The news has come as a big, albeit pleasant, surprise to fans - a full-blown Netflix anime series wasn't something players thought was even on the cards — much less arriving in just over a month.